Clippingmask does not seem to work in PS

[marion666]

I dont know what i am doing wrong. I cant get clipping masks to work. The image stays on top even though its clipt above the mask. And sometimes a color image changes to grayscale when dragged to the mask. Can someone please tell me what i am doing wrong? Thanks.

[thejanebradbury · Accepted solution]

Looking at your images I think perhaps you are muddling "clipping masks" - where a layer above clips to visible pixels in the layer below and "layer masks" - which are typically black and white (with shades of grey) where depending on the mask settings black conceals pixels and white reveals pixels (or vice versa if the mask is inverted) on the layer below. 

For example, your first image of water you are trying to use as a clipping mask to the brush stroke image underneath. It won't do anything because all the pixels are visible, both black and white. To have it work and clip your water to the black area it should be a layer mask. 

1. Open your water jpg image.
2. Click the Mask icon in the Layers Panel to create a layer mask. 
3. Open your brush stroke black and white image. 
4. Use Select all (Ctrl+A) and Ctrl+C to select and copy your mask. 
5. Go back to your water image. 
6. Click on the layer mask holding down Alt - you should now see a plain white image, indicating you're on the layer mask.
7. Ctrl+V to paste in your black and white image. 
8. Click back on the colour thumbnail and you should see your image within the black area of the mask, while the white area is transparent.
   
   This should work for all of the images you shared. 
   
   To use your image as a clipping mask instead some area of your layer underneath has to be transparent.

[marion666]

Thank you so much for your help! It is not working at all as shown in the youtube videos. It looked so easy but did not work. Anyway, happy it is working now. Have a nice day!

[marion666]

Hi,

I followed the instructions, thank you. But now i get this...not the pic but inverted. What did i do wrong now? I hope you can help me.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Select the Layer Mask in the Layers Panel and invoke Image > Adjustments > Invert. 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

One could use a pixel Layer or Smart Object as the basis of a Clipping Group by using Blend if-settings (split the handle/s by alt-click-dragging), putting it in a Group and Clipping Masking the other Layer to the Group. 

[jane-e]

I love this image @c.pfaffenbichler !

Jane